Tuesday, 10 July 2012

Things settling down.

We know we made a big decision to travel with our small children. Most people were worried for one reason or another and then there were the travel minded people who understood why we wanted to do this so very much.

We received wonderful advice from family, friends and some very special traveling families before we left. Many had warned the there would be a period of adjustment, a period of settling in and it may feel like the worst decision we had ever made. I thought I was prepared for that, I thought I knew it was not going to be a walk in the park etc..... But

It still knocked us both for a six. The reality was harder than I first imagined. Even with the kids flying well, eating and sleeping well it was hard. I feel blessed that those things were on track at least.

What we have struggled with is confined spaces. We are always conscious of how noisy our boys can be, they are active and lively. That is not so great at 6am in a small hotel room with paper thin walls. We have struggled with no adult alone time. Sharing one big room has been a challenge at times and we often wake with all of us in one bed.

Things I have learnt in our first month on the road are;

My children seem to love travel as much as their parents.
My children are good at adapting to new places, have proven to be able to sleep anywhere.
My children are willing to try new foods. They are keen to order what they see for sale at the local markets. This really surprised me.
My children are kind and accepting of others differences.

I have more strength and patience than I thought.
It is ok to ask for help.
I will be able to enjoy life again. I will.

So after some bumping days and a few tears, I think our second month will start to see us settling into this family travel lifestyle a bit more.

I honestly think we all go through this. I wasn't prepared for it either but it happened and then we got back on track.

Do make sure you get some time to yourself - a walk or a massage or a pedicure. It doesn't have to be long but it's great to recharge, collect your thoughts and calm down.

Alone time with your husband, now that's harder to achieve. We didn't feel comfortable enough to leave Reuben with sitters but since some of your kids are older and they have each other to play with, it might not be a bad idea to look for one. If no sitters, try and get them to sleep early and then watch a movie in bed on the laptop together.

I feel your pain. I'm glad your family has started to iron out the kinks. :)

When you get to Cambodia we would be happy to watch the kiddos for an afternoon or evening so you guys can get out alone, or stay in alone;) We understand that completely. I don't think we've had a moment to ourselves really in about 9 months now:( One day!

It is super hard. I think there was little transition for us because of our attachment style of parenting (we have co slept with the kids for the past 13 years in some manner) and the fact that we moved to Costa Rica a few years earlier. I can't even imagine how hard it would have been to go right from my US life to Asia!!

It'll get easier, and don't worry about the thin walls. Do your best and then join in on the giggles:)

About Us

HI, we are Joel and Cindy. A loving married couple who are planning to set off with our children for the adventure of a lifetime. Who knows what opportunities lie waiting for us ?
After leaving our occupation 'travel' seems to be the medicine we need to gather our thoughts and see what the world has to offer us in this next stage of our lives.
So in June we leave our comfortable home in Australia for Indonesia, Thailand,Loas,Vietnam,China,Cambodia and Singapore. Hoping to be home for Christmas 2012.